This archive report was first published on 1 September 2019.
On September 1, 2019, Seraphine Ruligirwa-Kamara wrote about the impact of biases on our lives in an article titled 'Are Biases Slowing Your Advancement?'
First impressions can be lasting, and we often guard them with our lives. When we create an impression about someone, we are unlikely to take the time to find evidence to the contrary. This is why it's essential to ensure that our first experience of someone is impeccable.
Confirmation bias is our tendency to entertain only information that confirms our predispositions. We want to continually find reasons why we are right about someone, and this can lead to forgiveness when they're less than expected. The disinfectant company's slogan 'Better safe than sorry' is a perfect example of this.
Zero risk bias is another common phenomenon where we love certainty so much that we eliminate risk from our lives, even when it's unproductive. This can lead to a mundane life, and we miss out on endless possibilities to truly live fully.
When asked where someone comes from, it's often because we're more comfortable dealing with them after placing them in a box of what's familiar to us. Stereotyping can be way off base, leading to embarrassing situations.
Research shows that investment brokers check fund performances less frequently during tough economic times, expecting drops in the portfolios and avoiding seeing these until they really must. This is an example of the ostrich effect, where we ignore dangerous or negative information by burying our heads in the sand.
Doctors who have lost patient lives during theatre procedures face the hardest time getting relatives to listen to the sad news. We practice rampant polygamy and when the head of the family dies, we're convinced that our enemies are out to finish us – Clustering Illusion.
